Provider profile
Sano Steam
Provider snapshot
What this listing says
Wilmington and Cape Fear region homeowners who want a single company for mold testing, remediation, and water damage — with 24/7 emergency response and chemical-free cleaning options from a veteran-owned operation in business since 1989.
Best for
- Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Leland, and Cape Fear region homeowners dealing with mold after water damage or hurricane flooding
- Families with pets, children, or chemical sensitivities who want organic and chemical-free cleaning options alongside mold work
- Homeowners who need mold testing, remediation, and water damage restoration handled by one company with insurance direct billing
- Vacation rental owners in the Wrightsville Beach area who need turnover cleaning combined with occasional mold or water damage response
- Commercial properties needing event space or facility cleaning with restoration capabilities on standby
About this company
Sano Steam is a Wilmington, North Carolina cleaning and restoration company founded in 1989 by two United States Marines — Chayse Roth (Marine Raider, 12 years) and Joseph Alig (Marine Aviator, 15 years). Their primary identity is cleaning (carpet, tile, upholstery, air ducts), but they run a full restoration operation covering water damage, mold, and fire. They hold BBB A+ accreditation and also operate a sister HVAC company, Air Support Heating and Air.
On the mold side, they do both testing and remediation in-house. Testing starts at $250 and uses air quality sampling plus surface swabs sent to third-party labs. Remediation runs $500 to $6,000 for residential jobs and includes containment with negative air pressure, HEPA filtration, antimicrobial treatment, and post-remediation verification testing. They also offer moisture investigation starting at $175 using thermal imaging and moisture meters. The chemical-free and organic cleaning options are a genuine differentiator — useful for families with pets, children, or chemical sensitivities.
Roth holds an MBA from the University of Mount Olive; Alig is pursuing his MBA at UNCW. The company covers all of New Hanover County and parts of Brunswick County, with a physical office on Wrightsville Avenue. They run truck-mounted extraction systems and claim on-site arrival within 1-2 hours for emergencies.
4.9 stars across 873 Google reviews is exceptional volume and rating for a local restoration company. They also claim 500+ five-star reviews on Nextdoor. With only 4 negative reviews in the last 18 months — and personalized owner responses on every single one — the review profile is unusually strong.
Services
Service area
Sano Steam is headquartered at 4701 Wrightsville Ave in Wilmington, NC. They cover all of New Hanover County — including Wrightsville Beach, Ogden, Myrtle Grove, Kings Grant, and Wrightsboro — and parts of Brunswick County including Leland, Belville, Navassa, and Winnabow. They list 16+ communities on their website.
Review consensus
Jared (also spelled Jarred/Jarrod) is the most frequently named technician, praised by Rob Whitney, Liz Vernon, Chris Rupp, Arnold Leonard, Tim Lawrence, Debbie Smith, C Edwards, L Andree, and others for carpet and upholstery results. Multiple reviewers specifically note stain removal on pet-damaged furniture and carpets. Teresa/Theresa draws praise for office scheduling and responsiveness. Shayne, Ethan, and Gerald each receive individual positive mentions. Punctuality and on-time arrival appear in nearly every written review. Vanessa G noted the company was transparent about the limits of pet urine removal rather than over-promising — a detail that stood out against competitors who guaranteed results.
4 found across 873 total reviews at 4.9★. One 1-star review from cynthia davis reported a floor still being wet after service. The owner responded explaining that drying can take up to eight hours depending on home conditions and offered to provide fans. This is a 2-review account with no further detail, making it hard to assess. The most substantive complaint came from Alana Albers (2-star, Local Guide with 24 reviews) who found a missed vent exchange during duct cleaning on Christmas Eve. Teresa coordinated a return visit two days later to reclean and refog the missed area. Nicole Matthews (3-star) felt her $235 upholstery cleaning did not address cushion seams and cracks, leaving crumbs and dog hair. The owner offered a free return visit. Dale Paley left a 3-star rating with no text.
The owner responds to 100% of negative reviews with personalized, specific replies — not templates. Each response addresses the actual complaint and offers a concrete resolution (return visit, fan setup, future discount). This is reputation management done right: the company engages with the substance of complaints rather than deflecting. The complaints themselves are about thoroughness on individual jobs, not systemic failures — missed spots rather than botched work.
Jared/Jarred/Jarrod (technician — overwhelmingly positive, named in 10+ reviews for carpet and upholstery work). Teresa/Theresa (office coordinator — positive from Davene Ceranna for scheduling; named by Alana Albers in a negative but Teresa coordinated the resolution). Ethan (technician — positive from Nancy Patterson). Shayne (technician — positive from Ghost for carpet work). Gerald (technician — positive from Paula Marn).
Sano Steam has an unusually clean review profile for a company with 873 reviews. Ask for Jared if you want their most-reviewed technician. Walk the job site with your technician before they leave — the two substantive complaints both involved spots the crew missed that a quick walkthrough would have caught. If you are hiring them for mold work, get your testing done independently or ask upfront whether their test results transfer to another remediation company.
Keep in mind
- Sano Steam does both mold testing and mold remediation. This creates a conflict of interest — the company testing for mold is the same one that profits from finding it. Ask whether you can use their test results with a different remediation company, or consider getting an independent test first.
- Mold is one piece of a much larger cleaning and restoration business. Most of their 873 reviews are for carpet, upholstery, and tile cleaning — not mold work specifically. The few mold-specific reviews in the sample are positive, but you are largely evaluating their cleaning reputation as a proxy.
- Two recent negatives mention incomplete work — a missed duct vent exchange and upholstery cushion seams left uncleaned. Both times the company offered to return and fix the issue, but check your job site before the crew leaves.
- The website lists 16+ service area communities across New Hanover and Brunswick counties. Confirm response times if you are on the outer edges of their coverage, especially for emergencies.